


No Secrets

by Mimozka



Series: Arrow Season 4 Stories [5]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/M, mature adult relationship, olicity - Freeform, post episode 4x08, pre episode 4x09, screw you arrow writers if you have him propose without telling her first
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-03
Updated: 2015-12-03
Packaged: 2018-05-04 18:40:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5344472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mimozka/pseuds/Mimozka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“You told me the truth. Despite her downright blackmailing you into silence, you told me the truth - and I’m proud of you. You also chose to have a relationship with your son instead of taking the easy way out and abandoning him - I’m proud of you. So so proud of you for that.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	No Secrets

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place post 4x08 and pre-4x09. I very much doubt it’ll go this way, but a part of me still hopes.

                                                               

* * *

 

 

He’s acting weird. He’s been acting weird ever since they got back from Central City after they defeated Vandal Savage. He doesn’t think she’s noticed but she has. Of course she has. Even if she didn’t as well as she does, even if she didn’t know him better than he knows himself - they live together and they have lived together for eight months now. 

But she was waiting for him. Waiting to see when he’ll open up to her about it. She knew that sometimes it took him a while to do that, it’s something he’s told her himself during one of those long talks they used to have in the beginning of their relationship. It’s one of the only things he’s ever asked of her “please be patient with me”. 

He’s been jumpy and distracted and he keeps looking at her when he thinks she doesn’t notice. He’s always close by somewhere. It’s starting to get a wee-bit stifling and that’s when she knows that she’s done waiting. Whatever’s bothering him has got to come out because his behaviour reminds her too much of the scared man he used to be immediately after they left the city together and she doesn’t want him to ever be that man.

Like she told him - she wants to be an excellent team-mate. Sometimes excellent team-mates have to take matters into their own hands. 

If there’s a National Geographic - style narrator in her head that keeps describing the situation as she waits for Oliver to come home from his meeting with Thea and Alex, well… that’s a therapy session for another time.

He walks through the door and she waits long enough for him to take off his coat and shoes, and sit down next to her before she sends the ball flying.

“What’s going on with you?” she asks, her voice is gentle and soft and her palms frame his face. “And don’t say - “

“Nothing.” 

“And don’t say nothing.” she finishes, her lips twisting into a small smile, because a while ago it was him telling her the same thing.

“I don’t want to upset you.” he tells her. 

“Oliver, you’re obviously hurting. There’s something that’s upsetting you and I can’t help you fix it because I don’t know what that thing is. I’m upset already.” she offers.

He remains quiet for a while. He’s focusing on breathing and he has that crink on his forehead that he gets when he’s gearing himself up to do something unpleasant. She wants to kiss it better, but she also wants to let him smooth it out himself - because she knows he can do it.

She waits for him to be ready. Even though she doesn’t like mysteries and they bug her and every cell in her body wants to open a laptop and solve the problem, she waits. 

_Please be patient with me._

“When we were in Central City I found something out.” he starts and then stops. 

He takes a couple of breaths and then he goes on talking. It’s like as if a dam broke and now that he’s talking he can’t seem to stop. He tells her everything - how he accidentally found out about his son, how the mother - Felicity refuses to say her name the more she hears about her - made her claims, how Barry allegedly reset the timeline, how Barry told him he would lose her if he told her about William - and just  **couldn’t** lose her.

She recoils a little at the news of his son, a wave of shock settling over her, but as she hears more and more, it starts to dissipate. As the story unravels, so does she.

By the end of it she’s crying and shaking - just like she is. 

She is hurt and she’s angry. At him, at Barry, at Moira, and at  _that woman._

 He pulls back from her and they’re not touching anymore. He moves to the opposite end of the couch, never once breaking eye contact with her. And he waits.

It takes her a little bit to realise why and when she does, she lurches forward and pulls him into an embrace, much like the one she gave him after they came home from Central City. Her arms curl around him protectively and her head comes down to lie on top of his.

He’s waiting for her to leave him, to leave them.

Regardless of how hurt and mad she is, she knows enough to be sure that this isn’t happening. She feels like screaming and like throwing stuff against the wall but she’s not going to leave him.

Once he realises the meaning behind her actions he breaks. He truly lets himself feel the situation he’s been put in. 

She does her best to comfort him and to explain that she’s hurt he didn’t tell her, that he should have come to her - or gone to John, but also that she understands his fears and why he did what he did. She doesn’t like it, but she understands. She also tells him that she’s proud of him.

He stills at that, and looks at her with nothing short of confusion.

“You told me the truth. Despite her downright blackmailing you into silence, you told me the truth - and I’m proud of you. You also chose to have a relationship with your son instead of taking the easy way out and abandoning him - I’m proud of you. So so proud of you for that.” Felicity tells him as she wipes the tears off his face.

“I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you. I told Samantha about you. About us. I told her I didn’t want to lie to you, but she… she gave me no choice, Felicity. And the stuff that she said, she nailed it - more than she knows - my life is dangerous, and the public knowing he’s my son could endanger him. That’s the last thing I want.” Oliver says, his hands grasping at her arms.

“Yes, it’s dangerous, but you have a right to know your son and more importantly, this little boy has a right to know that he  _does_ have a father. One that loves him and wants him - because it’s obvious that you do.”

“And do you want that?” Oliver asks her cautiously.

“I want whatever will make you happy. If that means your son being a part of our lives, then so be it.” she replies honestly, without hesitation.

“Now, what are you going to do about it?” Felicity asks him.

“What are you going to do about her blackmailing you?” she clarifies at the confusion on his face. 

“I don’t think I have a choice…” Oliver sighs, his shoulders deflating.

“Of course you do, there’s always a choice.” Felicity protests.

“Please don’t digitally ruin Samantha.” Oliver hurries to tell her. 

Felicity pouts at that, “Not even a little bit?”

Oliver shakes his head in reply.

“How about you go to her and you let her know, that you can settle this the friendly way or you could make use of the fact that you have an assistant district attorney for a life-long friend and that you’re on good terms and plenty of friends who can vouch how much you’ve grown and changed and you’re not the same man that she used to know. You can also tell her about your rich girlfriend who will absolutely hire a bunch of top notch family lawyers to fight for - at least - visitation rights if she has to.” Felicity says.

“I don’t want to turn this into a power battle, Felicity, doing that will only hurt William and it will put him on the map for everyone to notice. With Darhk roaming around and threatening my life I really don’t think this is a good idea.” Oliver objects, his hands now running slow circles on her forearms.

“Well William is not going to grow up doubting what’s wrong with him and why he doesn’t have a father when everyone around him does - and as someone who has gone through this I can tell you that he absolutely is - not if I can help it. Unfortunately for  _her_ I can. You need to let her know that she can’t step on you and expect you to accept her blackmail - because that’s what her terms are!” she declares.

She can tell he’s a little bit stunned. She can tell he didn’t expect this reaction from her.

_please be patient with me_

She will let go of her anger later. When she’s alone. She’ll process it on a punching bag (the way Sara and John had shown her) and later she will drown herself in mint chocolate chip.

“I love you.” He says, and it’s the only thing that can come close to describing how he feels about her.

She kisses the top of his head. “I love you, too.” 

“You’re remarkable.”

“Thank you for remarking on it.” 

So really, it’s no surprise that he ends up proposing the next evening.


End file.
